1. Field of Disclosure
Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to detection systems, and more specifically to systems and methods for detecting leaks of fluid that may damage electronic equipment.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Equipment enclosures or racks for housing electronic equipment, such as data processing, networking and telecommunications equipment, have been used for many years. Such racks are often used to contain and to arrange the electronic equipment in large equipment rooms and data centers. Fluids and excessive moisture can cause untold damage to electronic equipment provided in data centers, as well as to the infrastructure of the data center. To detect leaks or condensation within a particular rack or a data center in general, there are two systems that are primarily used within the industry. One system is a spot detection system in which two or more electrical probes are used to measure some degree of conduction caused by fluid (e.g., water) on a surface. With spot detection, very little area can be covered. Another system is a rope detection system in which twisted conductors provided on a rope measure conduction. With rope detection, a larger area may be monitored. One issue associated with rope detection is that the system can be expensive and is subject to corrosion, which can be mitigated by applying control techniques. In addition, circuit impedances may affect the response time of the conduction between the twisted conductors that are subjected to water, for example.